System and method for using impulse radio technology to track and monitor animals
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for tracking an animal located on a track, said method comprising the steps of:
- attaching, to the animal, an ultra wideband impulse radio unit;
determining a position of the animal from the interaction between the ultra wideband impulse radio unit and at least two of a plurality of reference ultra wideband impulse radio units distributed at known locations throughout the track;
receiving, at a central station, information relating to the position of the animal on the track;
displaying, at the central station, an overlay of the track that indicates the position of the animal on the track; and
using the ultra wideband impulse radio unit and another ultra wideband impulse radio unit at the central station to establish two-way communications between a person at the central station and a person controlling the animal, wherein the ultra wideband impulse radio unit is used to determine the position of the animal and also used to establish the two-way communications between the person at the central station and the person controlling the animal.
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Abstract
A system, electronic monitor and method are provided that utilize the communication capabilities and positioning capabilities of impulse radio technology to enable people (e.g., broadcasters, fans, trainers, jockeys) to track a position of a horse as it moves around a race track and/or to enable people to monitor one or more vital signs of the moving horse. The present invention may also be used track and/or monitor other animals such as dogs and people.
265 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A method for tracking an animal located on a track, said method comprising the steps of:
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attaching, to the animal, an ultra wideband impulse radio unit;
determining a position of the animal from the interaction between the ultra wideband impulse radio unit and at least two of a plurality of reference ultra wideband impulse radio units distributed at known locations throughout the track;
receiving, at a central station, information relating to the position of the animal on the track;
displaying, at the central station, an overlay of the track that indicates the position of the animal on the track; and
using the ultra wideband impulse radio unit and another ultra wideband impulse radio unit at the central station to establish two-way communications between a person at the central station and a person controlling the animal, wherein the ultra wideband impulse radio unit is used to determine the position of the animal and also used to establish the two-way communications between the person at the central station and the person controlling the animal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11)
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8. A system for tracking an animal moving on a track, said system comprising:
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an ultra wideband impulse radio unit attached to the animal;
a plurality of reference ultra wideband impulse radio units distributed at known locations throughout the track at least two of which interact with the ultra wideband impulse radio unit to enable the determination of the position of the animal;
a central station capable of receiving information related to a position of the animal on the track;
said central station capable of displaying an overlay of the track that indicates the position of the animal on the track; and
said central station including an ultra wideband impulse radio unit that interacts with the ultra wideband impulse radio unit attached to the animal to establish two-way communications between a person at the central station and a person controlling the animal, wherein the ultra wideband impulse radio unit attached to the animal is used to determine the position of the animal and also used to establish the two-way communications between the person at the central station and the person controlling the animal. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An electronic monitor comprising:
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an ultra wideband impulse radio unit, attached to an animal, capable of transmitting an impulse radio signal containing information to a central station that enables people to track a position of the animal moving on a track, where the position of the animal is determined from the interaction between the ultra wideband impulse radio unit and at least two of a plurality of reference ultra wideband impulse radio units distributed at known locations throughout the track; and
said ultra wideband impulse radio unit is further capable of interacting with an ultra wideband impulse radio unit at the central station to establish two-way communications between a person at the central station and a person controlling the animal, wherein the ultra wideband impulse radio unit attached to the animal is used to determine the position of the animal and also used to establish the two-way communications between the person at the central station and the person controlling the animal. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for tracking and monitoring an animal, said method comprising the steps of:
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attaching, to the animal, an ultra wideband impulse radio unit;
receiving, at a central station, information from the ultra wideband impulse radio unit relating to the animal;
displaying, at the central station, at least a portion of the information relating to the animal;
determining a current position of the animal by enabling the ultra wideband impulse radio unit to interact with a plurality of reference ultra wideband impulse radio units that are distributed at known locations around the track by performing the following steps;
synchronizing the reference ultra wideband impulse radio units;
synchronizing the ultra wideband impulse radio unit to the synchronized reference ultra wideband impulse radio units;
collecting and time-tagging range measurements between the ultra wideband impulse radio unit and at least two of the reference ultra wideband impulse radio units; and
calculating the position of the animal carrying the electronic monitor containing the ultra wideband impulse radio unit using the collected and time-tagged range measurements;
displaying, at the central station, the current position of the animal; and
using the ultra wideband impulse radio unit and another ultra wideband impulse radio unit at the central station to establish two-way communications between a person at the central station and a person controlling the animal, wherein the ultra wideband impulse radio unit is used to determine the position of the animal and also used to establish the two-way communications between the person at the central station and the person controlling the animal. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A system comprising:
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an electronic monitor, attached to an animal, including an ultra wideband impulse radio unit capable of transmitting an impulse radio signal containing information relating to the animal;
a central station capable of obtaining the information and further capable of displaying at least a portion of the information relating to the animal;
a plurality of reference ultra wideband impulse radio units distributed at known locations throughout a track at least two of which interact with the ultra wideband impulse radio unit to enable the determination of the position of the animal by performing the following steps;
synchronizing the reference ultra wideband impulse radio units;
synchronizing the ultra wideband impulse radio unit to the synchronized reference ultra wideband impulse radio units;
collecting and time-tagging range measurements between the ultra wideband impulse radio unit and at least two of the reference ultra wideband impulse radio units; and
calculating the position of the animal carrying the electronic monitor containing the ultra wideband impulse radio unit using the collected and time-tagged range measurements;
said central station capable of displaying an overlay of the track that indicates the position of the animal; and
said central station including an ultra wideband impulse radio unit that interacts with the ultra wideband impulse radio unit attached to the animal to establish two-way communications between a person at the central station and a person controlling the animal, wherein the ultra wideband impulse radio unit is used to determine the position of the animal and also used to establish the two-way communications between the person at the central station and the person controlling the animal. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. An electronic monitor comprising:
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a sensor operable to monitor at least one vital sign of an animal;
an ultra wideband impulse radio unit operable to interact with said sensor such that people can view at a central station the at least one monitored vital signal;
said ultra wideband impulse radio unit is capable of interacting with at least two of a plurality of reference ultra wideband impulse radio units distributed at known locations throughout a track to enable a determination of a position of the animal by performing the following steps;
synchronizing the reference ultra wideband impulse radio units;
synchronizing the ultra wideband impulse radio unit to the synchronized reference ultra wideband impulse radio units;
collecting and time-tagging range measurements between the ultra wideband impulse radio unit and at least two of the reference ultra wideband impulse radio units; and
calculating the position of the animal using the collected and time-tagged range measurements; and
said ultra wideband impulse radio unit is further capable of interacting with another ultra wideband impulse radio unit at the central station to establish two-way communications between a person at the central station and a person controlling the animal, wherein the ultra wideband impulse radio unit is used to determine the position of the animal and also used to establish the two-way communications between the person at the central station and the person controlling the animal. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37)
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Specification